Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku

Manley (The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures) writes a collection of haiku in the voice of a child whose family summits a dormant volcano in the Pacific Northwest. In digitally finished multimedia artwork that maintains a hand-drawn look, Mann (Maple and Rosemary) views the distant, glowing peak from the group's campsite. Via the poetic form's short lines, Manley describes the tan-skinned family setting off through pine trees, swatting mosquitoes, and spotting other beings ("I crouch down and smile/ at tiny toads"). Soon, snow appears, the pines grow shorter as treeline approaches, and more marvels emerge ("up here in the sky--/ what everyone talks about/ is butterflies"). At the summit, framed against a breathtaking expanse, the young narrator stands on the spot "I saw blazing/ at dawn." Fragments of beauty and knowledge echo the fleeting nature of encounters with life in the wild, and readers share the young hiker's sense of triumph at having taken on an impressive expedition that feels well within the realm of the possible. Back matter includes more about hiking and the animals mentioned. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)

PreS-Gr 3--An amazing adventure written entirely in haiku. Manley takes readers through a hike to the summit of a mountain. The details conveyed in each set of three lines fully express the journey through the levels up the mountain path. Readers join in the traveler's experience and in the end, will want to find their own mountains to climb. Besides simply sharing the book in story hours, educators can use it in poetry lessons, story writing, the study of mountain ecosystems, nature hikes, and more. Mann's deceptively simple sketches communicate a vast array of colors, textures, diversity, and warmth in the world; readers will want to pore over every detail on every page. It is a clean, crisp story with simple, comfortable art that exudes adventure, curiosity and the intricacies of the natural world. VERDICT A small quest, told in a short-poem form that has a wide-ranging impact, this one little volume can be used and enjoyed in so many ways.--Cassie Veselovsky